Before My Heart Turned To Stone
by GravityVanel14
Summary: Before Roman Torchwick was a fugitive, he was a butler. And who's butler? None other than a young Weiss Schnee's. [AU] A story that will make you cry, laugh and question my sanity.
1. Chapter 1

**I have weird ideas. Anyway, a pre-RWBY! Yay? Featuring: ROMAN! NEO! WEISS! YAY!**

**CAUSE EVERYONE ASKED FOR IT, RIGHT?**

**Must give credit to the amazing Arieko and his butler-related PM's. Thanks, dude! ANDSTOPASKINGIFITALKEDTOYOUKNOWHO. Okay so:**

**I was bored. PMing with him. Hearing Mad World. Wrote this in my journal while in lunch. Details ain't important. This story is an attempt at making you laugh, cry, and question my sanity. (If you haven't already.)**

**I do not own RWBY, Nor pretend to. I'm just an idiotic fan writing about it. Cause she can.**

**Summary: Before he was a fugitive, he was a butler. And who's butler? None other than a young Weiss Schnee's.**

**Extra summary: Roman Torchwick wasn't always the heartless criminal we know. Before he was, he was nothing but a poor, humble man seeking a brighter future for his sister. On the point of breaking, Roman consulted the Schnee family and gained his job as a butler. He expected it to be easy and just needed the money, with no purpose of staying for over a month. But once he meets the young Schnee heiress, things take a turn for the unexpected.**

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><p>Chapter 1: The Dark Days<p>

Even if they had little to no money, they were happy.

The two siblings helped each other, one raising money for their needs while the other continued her studies, hoping for a better job in the future. No matter how hard it was for the oldest to raise her, they managed to do so. The conditions were no longer important, knowing that in the end there would always have food on the table, clothes on their backs and a roof over their heads.

That was until one day.

When he first noticed, he never thought much of it. The girl was always energetic, bouncing place to place. So as a result, he never thought much of when she would run and end up falling. It soon became frequent, but he still showed no care. Maybe she was just too clumsy.

Right?

Then came the days when she was too exhausted. Gone were the days when she bounced place to place, a smile plastered on her face and her eyes shining brightly. She now trudged through the small house, her head low and her lips sealed.

When he asked if she was okay, she would brush it off with a, "I'm just tired. I'm sure sleep would help!"

But it didn't.

Next came her inability to walk. She tried to move a leg, only to fall. She tried and tried, wanting to move. But her legs no longer wished to cooperate with her.

At this point, he was both scared and worried. With the little money he had, he rushed her over to the local hospital. When they arrived, his world was crushed.

His small, innocent sister- a girl with a shot in the world- was diagnosed with a permanent illness, one that would kill her each day.

She would soon forget to talk, her voice being lost to silence. Her movements were now limited, soon to not be able to move at all. She would no longer be able to live her life, a life she had barely begun.

Soon, she would be seated in a wheelchair, the only way to talk would be to point at a selection of letters.

And she would die alone.

The doctors informed him about a few specialized doctors, scattered all over Remnant. The bad part?

He couldn't afford them.

He couldn't afford the special treatments, the medications, the objects his sister needed. In this case, he would have to leave her all alone, watching her rot each day.

That wasn't his choice, to be exact. So first, he decided to explain to the young girl.

"Bro?" Her voice spoke softly as she laid on the hospital bed. "What's wrong with me?"

Seeing the spark in her eyes, he couldn't break the news to her.

So now that's why Roman Torchwick now stood in front of the Schnee Mansion's gates.

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><p>It was a miracle.<p>

When he was told about the position as a miner in the Dust 'mines', he leaped at the chance. He wasn't exactly sure if it would help, but he was desperate.

Uneasily, he stared at the towering building in front of him. The mansion, which was rather known as the 'White Castle', was barely visible due to the enormous garden that lied in front. It was surely impressive.

Unlike the rest of the area, the gates were rusty and old. Ignoring his confusion, he once more played the bell in front of him.

Finally, a man dressed in a formal suit opened the gates. "What brings you here, sir?"

"I'm here to apply for the mining job." Roman responded, as the two walked through the long halls of the mansion.

"Mining? No! You must be mistaken!"

"What do-"

"We need a butler, actually."

"Don't you have enough?" He asked, his hopes getting crushed.

"Yes but we need a specialized one. We need a butler for-"

Before he could finish he was interrupted by a small, little pale girl with blue eyes and white hair. She cleared her throat before answering;

"Me."

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><p><strong>Okay, the illness described was actually stol-I mean borrowed from a korean drama I watched when I was..<strong>

**five...**

**Anyway, it's purely fictional. Unless it does exist, in which my days of research failed.**

**Epic-ly.**

**Please review, favorite, follow and tell me what you think! :D**

**Note: Flames are welcomed. They will be used for DIN; Dragons in Need. They will help poor, innocent dragons who have no flame.**

**-Sapphire TearDrops**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: And I present, chapter-that's-actually-chapter-one! Yay! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed! It means a lot to me! And because I didn't actually PM a few people for their responses, There's some in the bottom! :D Also, these first chapters won't be much of fluff. I mean there will be fluff, but the dark, morbid style will stay in the story. Sorry guys! (Not!)**

**Also, there's going to be minor cursing..****  
><strong>

**Special shout out to Arieko for advertising! Thanks dude! Check out his new story, The Queen's Vessel! If you like Falling Petals and Banana Split (No, not SunXNeo. Yes, I was disappointed too.), this story will satisfy you! If you don't ship it, go ahead and read. Seriously, why are you still reading my sucky story?**

**Another special shout out to AriaScarlet for informing me of the name of the Korean drama! You brought memories of when I was close to my aunt, before she became a really different person...Thanks! And now I'm crying. My life! o.e**

**Disclaimer: If I ever did own RWBY, most likely the series would fail.**

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><p>There was something peculiar about Weiss Schnee.<p>

Roman couldn't simply put it in words, but he did find it odd.

The girl rarely spoke, preferring to nod in response. She would swiftly move to another place in the matter of seconds without anyone knowing. Her gaze seemed to be focused on them all the time, yet her mind was wandering elsewhere. One thing he found the odd most was how little she spoke to her family, only offering a small greeting to either her sister or father, who rarely showed up. Once she greeted them and her father turned, for one split second he swore her face reflected hopelessness. He wasn't sure, but it looked as if the girl was begging to be released from her silence.

This shocked him. He observed her sister, who was the total opposite. While the young Schnee heiress preferred silence -or was probably imprisoned by it- her sibling was more lively. Although he was alright with it, always used to seeing a child being lively and loud, Winter Schnee was different. He just didn't know why.

When the two siblings were placed side by side, Winter would try and hug and do several silly things younger siblings would do to their older siblings. Weiss would glance at Winter and grin, but never do anything else.

And all this he observed in a small reunion with Mr. Schnee.

While Roman was no expert, the young man was sure those two girls were something. While Winter wasn't much of a difference, the only one who bothered him was Weiss.

"You will begin working tonight." A voice said, snapping him from his thoughts. Roman glanced at the 'Father Schnee', which was Winter's given name for her father.

Roman was sure the man was around his early thirties, but he looked older. His hair was black, with only a few gray streaks of hair. His blue eyes were both worn out and tired. Probably stress, Roman thought.

"Will you be able to do so?" He asked, his gaze shifting to a pair of papers that were positioned in front of him.

The bright orange haired man gave a slight nod. While his sister was a priority, he did have to sacrifice time with her in order to work. That would be a problem in the future, when her disease began to spread more. For now, he was thankful for the little money that got his sister a much needed attention in the hospital.

"I have everything organized, until we move in."

The grey haired man smiled in response. "I promise you I will fix everything in a week or so, then you can bring any relatives that live with you. For now your ship will be only at night, from six to twelve. Afterwards, you will work full time."

"I could work with that."

"But please, do not bring any..." He frowned. "Pests. I do not need any disturbance to my work."

"I promise you my sister and I will be no disturbance."

The man smiled once more.

"Thank you, Roman. And I expect it to be that way."

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><p>"Where is he?"<p>

She hated it. She hated the while walls that seemed to be enclosing her each second. She hated how it reeked of desperation. She hated how she could sense tragedy everywhere.

She hated the fact that she was stuck there. Stuck in a place that so many died, maybe like she would.

A girl like her, bubbly and energetic, shouldn't be stuck in that disgusting place. No, a hospital was not a place for the young girl.

She would- no SHOULD be- somewhere else. Yes, her home. The sad little shack that was a 'pathetic' excuse for a home. For her, it didn't matter. As long as she had a roof over her head, she was satisfied.

Sure, most girls in the same situation as her detested it. They had the weirdest longing to be a princess. A girl in a enormous castle or mansion, having servants and maids doing her job. Having the best of the best, never missing a meal under any circumstances. And at the end, living a happily ever after with their 'true love'.

Sure, the girl was different. Even she had to admit that. For her, life was anything, but a fairy tale. She learned the hard way, having to starve and watch as her brother worked hard and took several part time jobs. Even if her brother did the best by lying to her about her parent's deeds and whereabouts, it was actually for the worse. It was nice getting letters by your _parents_, stating how they missed you. Some claiming they would see you again. Only for what? To realize that all along you were living a lie.

And to her, she felt betrayed.

It was a feeling she tried to ignore, but ever since the event happened, she couldn't help it no longer. She hid it from her brother (Considering the fact that she actually didn't blame him) and quietly kept it to herself. But now, it felt worse.

She was sick. Awfully sick. While everyone thought she was oblivious to that fact, she wasn't.

But she wished she was.

"I'm here!"

She shifted to her right, hating the hospital bed she lied on. It wasn't even close to comfortable! When she saw her brother, she smiled.

"Hi bro! You came!" She responded. Roman offered a small smile in return to the chocolate haired girl.

"How is my little sister feeling?"

"Meh. Better! Can I leave now?" The girl inquired. Roman chuckled before shaking his head.

"Not yet, sis."

The girl pouted, her brown eyes watering. It was actually a strategy that would make her brother do anything she asked for. Once her brother saw her suffering, he would take her back home.

Roman groaned, rolling his eyes. He hated this special method.

"Stupid puppy eyes." He muttered under his breath. "Sis, you can't leave."

"But why?" She whined.

"I have a job now. A six to midnight one, and I don't want you to be alone back home. Plus, it would be better if you stayed here."

"A job?" Another job? Didn't he have more already? "But why?" She asked once more.

His smile faded and nodded. "It's needed, dear. For your health."

She gulped, looking at her hands nervously. "Alright then so umm...I have to stay here...alone or..." She didn't like the idea of staying alone. It just didn't feel right.

"You'll have the nurses and doctors and-"

"Dead people." She blurted out coldly. "Guessing I'm going to be one of them soon."

"N-"

"Go to work, Roman. It's almost six." She responded, throwing the thin sheets over her. Roman sighed.

"I'll see you at twelve, alright?"

The girl didn't respond. Roman glanced at her before walking away, leaving her alone once more. She remained silent, hearing the faint beeping of nearby machines. Would she be stuck here for the rest of her life? It scared her, but she would rather not think about it.

At least, she tried to push the thought away. But that cursed beeping, that beeping reminded her of the fact that she was ill. Worse, it haunted her in her sleep. So once she closed her eyes in attempt to rest for a bit, she didn't think she would have to be reminded of her case in her dreams.

_"Roman, is this necessary?" She shuffled her feet, nervously, toying with her bracelet. "You know I don't like this place.."_

_He didn't bother answering. She sighed in frustration as she reluctantly followed her older sibling. She didn't like it here._

_It made her uneasy, knowing that this place..._

_This place reeked of tragedy, like always._

_It made it uneasy to know that in this very place, someone gave their last breath. _

_And what if the next person was her?_

_A shiver ran through her spine. She quickly walked to her brother's side and hurriedly glanced around the corridors. _

_How silly! It wouldn't be her! She was too young! Plus, she had a future! She had a purpose and a dream in life! She knew she had a chance at life, and she wouldn't waste it! _

_Besides, she wasn't ill! She was just clumsy! So what if she fell constantly, dropped objects, and words were a blur to her? So what if she had memory loss, and couldn't feel her legs or arms?_

_Nothing to worry about!_

_Right?_

_Continuing her walk, she saw her brother stop. "Wait outside." He ordered. _

_"Can't I-"_

_"Please, don't make this difficult."_

_Frowning, she nodded. Her brother's gaze seemed to soften and his mouth opened, as if ready to speak. But no words came out, and so he opened the door to the office and walked in. _

_It was tiring to wait outside. She had to know! If it was about her and if she-_

_She shook her head. She wasn't ill. No, she was healthy._

_She had a perfectly, planned future. A future she would live. But she was curious._

_Quietly opening the door, enough for her to poke her head in the room, she watched. Sure, there was her brother. And in front was a doctor, talking and handing him several sheets of paper. _

_"Her disease will...it will spread and eventually kill her.."_

_"Is there any treatment?" Her brother's voice was hushed, his head buried on his hands. The doctor gave a nod._

_"While there is treatment, there is no one known to fully recover."_

_She let the door slam shut. She didn't know when she backed away, her heart skipping a beat. All she saw was the ground rushing towards her in an incredible, fast speed and red splattering against the white tiles._

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><p>Most certainly, Roman wasn't glad over the conversation with his sibling. Why didn't she understand it was necessary? For her health? Or maybe she was simply tired of staying in one place, not meaning to do any harm with her spoken words.<p>

He walked towards the Schnee Mansion, which thankfully wasn't far from the hospital. Muttering bitterly, he adjusted his black tie. Why was this stupid suit even a requirement? Couldn't he dress up like he wanted? Then again, his clothing was probably not accepted for the Schnee family. Whatever that meant. Thank God he had enough money for a _cheap _suit. But the damned suit! It was uncomfortable for him to wander in. He was wearing a single breasted and two button tuxedo (Which was too damn funny to begin with, but that was just him) and his jacket had three outside pockets and three inside pockets. His pants were pleated with black, satin lines and he wore a black tie. His orange hair was neatly brushed, with his bangs covering his right eye.

Once he reached the mansion, the rusty gates were already open. He awkwardly walked in, walking through the several rows of flowers- different colors of roses, Amaryllis, Aneglicas, Asters, Bindweeds and many, many more. He glanced at the water fountain and the crystal clear water. He would, if he could, stay back and observe the sights around him. But he had a job. He hurried to the enormous, wooden doors, carved with the letters S. Before he could press the button or ring the bell, the doors opened. He walked into what he guessed was the living room. The room was adorned with several paintings and portraits of the Schnee's ancestors. The current and newest one was a portrait of the current Schnee family; Winter Schnee with her white hair tied into two neat ponytails and her blue eyes sparkling while wearing a white, fluffy dress. Weiss Schnee and her hair into a thick braid adorned with small while flowers. There was also another woman, one who Roman didn't know of us. His guess was that that was their mother.

"Ah! Glad to see you!"

Roman spun around, seeing the current Schnee Company owner. The older man smiled. "I have a meeting and an after-business party to attend. I will be back before midnight." Roman gave a polite nod. "I'll take care of the Schnee siblings."

"Alright. I must go. They are in their room right now, and won't give much trouble. Ask any maid for help, although August will be your best choice. Also, don't give Winter her nightly cookies. Too much sugar."

With that, the man was gone. Roman began to go up the stairs. Even the stairs were fancy; made of crystals. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he reached the top.

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><p>So far the job was easy. He made small chat with a few servants and actually didn't keep an eye on the girls, but he was sure they were fine. Roman was currently busy helping out in the kitchen, bringing the cooks a few vegetables for their so called special soup. A part of him wondered if he could take a small portion to his sister...<p>

Everything was peaceful, so far. When the clock struck 7, he asked to make a call to the hospital. According to the nurse, the girl had long fallen asleep. He quickly said thanks and returned to his job. Again, everything peaceful.

And then Weiss Schnee had to come in.

He didn't notice her, her movements so swift and silent. He was bending down to reach a few cleaning supplies a maid requested when he heard a soft, "Hello."

He jumped and turned to face the young Schnee heiress. Her blue eyes looked dull and her gaze was fixed on her doll.

"I'm sorry." She replied.

"Sorry for what?" He stopped, remembering a small piece of advice a servant had given him. _Always address the heiress as young mistress. _"Young mistress?" Roman added, grabbing the supplies requested and closing the cabinet.

"For your parents who punished you into this job." She responded calmly, running her small fingers through her doll's hair.

"What do you mean?"

"That's what the last butler said before he left. It wasn't exactly my fault, but Winter must have drove him crazy. Like all butlers we had before."

"Oh." Roman shifted awkwardly and began to walk towards the kitchen, leaving her behind.

"And then the one before that one was a thief. Father found him attempting to steal a few precious family things." Roman raised an eyebrow and glanced at the girl, who was walking by his side.

"Really, mistress?"

"Uh huh. My father called him a bastard."

He stopped. Wasn't she suppose to be more educated? Heck, if he ever caught his sister saying a curse word, she would never hear the end of it! "Young mistress, I believe that's a curse word. I don't think your father wants you to be saying that."

"He also said that he hoped you weren't a thief or an asshole."

Roman blinked, feeling anger wash through him. Of course, he couldn't snap at his young mistress. That's until she said;

"If you tell me, you look more of an asshole."

Normally, if someone called him such word, he would snap back. But how old was this kid? Six? Eight?

If she went ahead and snitched to her father and claimed Roman called her a not-so-nice word, he would be more than dead.

More than dead.

So he bit back his tongue and mentally cursed the Schnee-brat. Stopping to the kitchen, he said in an annoyed tone, "Would you like some fresh from the oven cookies, mistress?"

Except the girl was long gone.

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><p>After his first <em>pleasant <em>encounter with Weiss, Roman sat down on the couch. Sure, the job wasn't much tiring, but he just used it as an excuse.

A part of him wondered if Weiss was so damn cold, cursing him out already on the first not even three hours! Maybe the kid was confused on her wording, and wanted to say something else. Or maybe she meant what she said.

Well, nothing soap and water couldn't fix!

Then again, if he was caught carrying the girl to a sink and trying to get soap into her mouth, he would probably be arrested for some attempt at murder.

Yet, he couldn't help but think of how Weiss looked before. Was it an act? A mask? Or was something truly up? It just felt wrong.

Really wrong.

And if he had to deal with Weiss Schnee for the rest of his life (which he secretly hoped would not happen), how miserable he was going to be!

Forced to work with such annoying, white haired brat!

Yeah, it was just a sentence, but the kid already said it;

_I feel sorry for you having to work and be in my service until you die, asshole._

Or maybe he was taking this a bit too far.

But if Weiss was like that, he couldn't wait to find out how Winter was.

Oh he couldn't wait.

"Roman, would you be so kind to give these cookies to the younger mistress."

Or maybe he could wait.

Roman groaned, and glanced at the owner of the voice. She was a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties. She had waist length raven hair and brown eyes, and wore a small smile on her lips.

"I'm August, by the way." She eyed the tray of cookies in front of her. "Could you give this to Winter?"

He grabbed the tray and nodded. "Fine." He muttered. "Where is she?"

"In her room. All the way to the top." Roman gave a nod before walking up the stairs. Once arriving, he cursed the stairs for being so long and walked through the long corridor.

Surprisingly, there was just one room. The rest of the hallway was empty, with its walls painted in a white color. He didn't even bother wondering where the red carpet led to. He glanced at the door before knocking.

No answer.

He was about to knock again when the door opened. In front of him stood a small, white haired girl with blue eyes. If it weren't for her height and the mess of blue, pink, and purple stickers plastered across her face, Roman would have mistaken her for a certain brat.

The girl gave him a wide smile before squealing in delight. "My cookies! Thank you Sergio!" She then proceeded to snatch the cookies from the trey. Roman raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off.

"Young err younger mistress, my name's Roman, not Sergio."

"I like Sergio better!" She grinned. "Also, call me Winter! That's Weiss wanting those fancy schmancy words! Weiss is easier to pronounce than young mistress, but nooo! Miss perfect wants that name! Sergio, did I tell you-"

"Roman." He corrected.

"Are you the guy that Weiss said was an asshole?"

_God damn these kids today..._He thought to himself.

"I dunno if you're one. So I won't call you that until you turn out to be one."

"I won't be one." He responded in annoyance.

Winter frowned. "Sorry then, Sergio!"

"Roman."

"But you need a unique name!"

"How's Sergio unique?"

"Because it is! It's unique, like mine!"

He smirked. "How's a name for a season unique?"

She pouted, and folded her arms across her chest. "I'll call you Roman then."

"Winter, that's my name."

"Not my fault..."

He chuckled. So far, so good. No sign of her having Weiss' personality. Not that he cared.

"Roman, can you help me decorate my room? I don't know...it needs glitter. Glitter everywhere!"

"I guess.."

"Bring the glitter from the kitchen, okay?"

The girl's eyes widened, and she ran inside her room.

Roman blinked. Slowly making his way downstairs, he wondered out loud, "Why is there even glitter in the kitchen?". He shrugged and continued.

Once he reached the kitchen, Roman glanced at the clock.

Nearly three hours left...

Well, he guessed that Winter wasn't so bad. He had cooled off from his anger caused by Weiss, but the same still couldn't be said about her. He still had a question, though;

If his job as a butler would get easier or harder?

Only time will tell.

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><p><strong>Happy late Halloween! Like an hour or so late, time zones. Ya know?<strong>

**Anyway, responses! **

**Guest #1: I can never do crack!fics. Never. So you see the future- I MEAN...Anyway, I love your predictions! Only time will tell =)**

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**Kill you...**

**Sorry about that...**

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**UPDATE BOB!**

** (If I'm begging you in my own story, you know you have to update for sure)**

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**P.S Cinder quit. Winter annoyed her. She now gives full time service to DINF, before she went cray-cray.**

**Guest #5: Yep! Thanks for telling me, I appreciate it! =)**

**Now I'm off to bed!**

**-Sapphire TearDrops**


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